morning. metering lights are on. but relative delay-free heading into the city. that's your traffic. back to you. >> thank you. see you tomorrow. good morning. a crippled nuclear plant catches fire overnight. forcing workers to flee and halting desperate efforts to cool down that plant and prevent a catastrophe. this morning we are learning ground water in the area may now be condam nated with radiation and panic spreading as high levels of radiation move south. this is japan's emperrer who makes a rare appearance on tv to mourn the losses and praise the relief efforts and the list of the dead and missing is growing. now topping 11,000. "early" this wednesday morning, march 16th, 2011. captioning funded by cbs

and good morning. you are looking at pictures of what so much of the world is focused on this morning. and that is that nuclear plant in fukushima as we monitor the situation which is, i mean, fluid is probably putting it mildly, chris. >> yeah. every hour a new development there as the people at fukushima at this nuclear reactor are doing all they can to contain a full-scale nuclear emergency now. they are now called the faceless 50. the 50 employees or so basically evacuated and moved back in and the last 50 there to avert a massive nuclear sdadisaster and wonder if they are paying for their lives and what is the situation like. >> how much longer can they stay in that role. they were evacuated and went back. the latest on the situation. another fire is burning at the nuclear plant in fukushima. the workers inside that plant were forcesed to leave to

protect their safety and reportedly returned several hours later. japan's tv says radiation has been found in fukushima's water supply and south of that city radiation level is 300 above normal. that is not deadly but potentially dangerous. now 11,000 people dead or reported missing. we begin our coverage with cbs harry smith who joins us with the latest on the nuclear threat. harry, hello. >> reporter: good morning, erica. fear, apprehension and anxiety. it is another emotional day here in japan as this country waits for just one piece of good news. wednesday morning, dawned with yet another fire in the explosion plagued number four reactor at the fukushima daiichi nuclear power plant. the fire was out in short order but then white smoke was seen rising from reactor number three. the 50 nuclear workers who are fighting to keep the cores from melting were said to have

evacuated. it was then reported they were only sent to a safer part of the structure. leaving everyone to wonder, what is really going on in there? there is both positive and negative news. i don't know what to believe, she says. is the facility on the verge of a meltdown or not? nearby residents wish they knew more. including american mark carney. >> i can read articles about, you know, will the radiation reach the united states? and what should you do in california? and i'm sitting in the prefe prefecture where this is going on and not told what to. >> reporter: japanese nuclear authorities have a history of being less than forthcoming about the safety of their reactors. which only contributes to the confusion and distrust. many are leaving tokyo. several major international corporations have closed their

offices and even sent workers south. in an extremely rare appearance, emperor akihi to encouraging his subjects not to give up. meanwhile, at the power plant 506 workers risking their lives to prevent a full-blown disaster. courage is all they have to fight with. survival for the tsunami victims made that much difficult as snow fell in some of the hardest hit regions. so the official death toll now stands at just over 3,600. official number of missing, 7,500 but as those small villages and those far-flung provinceses finally get reported from is certainly likely to go up. >> many people sadly expecting that. you touched on this a little bit. how people with dealing with this in tokyo and a lot of people trying to get out and some are telling workers to work from home or they should leave. on the streets there is it more

fear or frustration this morning? >> reporter: you know what? a lot of people here are plenty scared. we stopped at a little noodle shop, a restaurant, neighborhood restaurant filled with delivery men and shop workers and i asked the people in there, are you scared? and they said, absolutely. we are scared to death. but we don't have a choice we need to go to work and hold on to our jobs and we don't feel like we have the opportunity to leave even if we might want to. >> which is so difficult. also the gentleman mark carney that you had in your piece who said i can get information on the internet about what to do in the u.s. about i'm worried but not getting the information here. is there -- when you're out there are people asking you for information they feel like they are not getting from their own government? >> reporter: nobody is coming up to us. i think everybody sits and watches the tv all day and as we said in the piece, there really is a level of frustration with the nuclear authority here because they have had some problems in the past that they have tried to cover up, that they have had to come back later and say, well, we did know this

all along and we apologize and they just don't have a track record of authority that people really trust in the long run. >> it certainly is in a situation like this, that is the last thing you want. harry smith in tokyo, thanks. >> reporter: you bet. let's get more on the health risks in and around that nuclear plant in fukushima. joining is medical correspondent dr. jennifer ashton with more on that. >> good morning. >> talk about the radiation inside. we are getting reports that yesterday a reading of 1,000 milly sieverts was recorded. what does that do to the body? >> put this into context and when we talk about radiation exposure we look at it on a spectrum. the units we use are called millisieverts or sieverts. a little exposure thought to cause no harm or some cellular damage a lot of exposure can cause death. one millisievert is the amount you see in a cat scan. you see three millisieverts a

year walking around the planet and 400 millisieverts increase the risk of future cancers and in particular thyroid cancer. at 1,000 you see a considerable risk of acute radiation sickness. >> one of the things we also want to talk about and one of the big reports this morning that there have been radiation detections in the water supply in fukushima leads to a greater problem, does it not? >> not really a surprise. as it's liberated into the air we expect with changes in weather and just atmosphere in the environment to see some of that affect the ground and the water supply. also when you talk about radiation, not just the root of exposure whether it's touched or inhaled or ingested the time you're exposed to the radiation and less time preferable to more which is why they are rotatinging the rescue workers in and around the plant' limiting their amount of time and the distance from the exposure. as they measure these amounts of radiation the farther you get away from that source is key. if you get three times as far

away from the source of radiation, the amount of radiation you get goes down by a ninth. >> let's talk about the symptoms of radiation sickness. >> when you talk about radiation sickness, you're talking about the most susceptible cells in the body are the most actively dividing sells in our gastrointestinal tract. in the short term nausea, vomiting and diarrhea and bone marrow affected. these can be seen hours, days, weeks, sometimes even years down the road. >> the long-term effect something along the lines of what we witnessed with chernobyl? >> thyroid cancer is the big concern. the most susceptible, children, babies, teenagers, anyone up to 18 and pregnant women so we will be watching them carefully. a lot we still don't know. >> dr. jennifer ashton, thank you. joining us now from washington is sharon squassoni. good morning. good to have you with us. as we see what is happening here

in these differing reports does it seem to you there is any real sense of a command structure there? do they have a handle on the situation? >> well, it's very hard to say. they are facing challenges not just at the four reactors where they have had problems cooling the fuel and in the spent fuel pond, but there is also news that they are having trouble at the fifth reactor. they are using a generator from the sixth one to cool the fuel. so they are up against a wall, i would say. they have got multiple -- this is not just one three mile island. it's effectively four. >> help put that in perspective for us. we have been throwing around the last couple of days three mile island and chernobyl and hearing differing reports on whether or not you can actually compare the situation to either one. a, can you compare it? b, if so, put that in perspective for us. >> well, you know, every accident is unique in a lot of

ways. first, this is not a chernobyl, under no circumstances. chernobyl, the reactor design actually made more likely the kind of explosion that you had, the nuclear chain reaction kept going. there was no containment. you had radiation spilling, spewing out in the atmosphere for ten or more days. it's much more like three mile island, but as time goes on, we're seeing, you know, a possible breach in the containment in unit two and now this very troubling fire in the spent fuel pool at unit four. so it's somewhere between the two, but closer to three mile island. >> so what does that tell you then? the breach in the containment there is an issue in number four as well. you mentioned possible issues with number five at this point. can this be contained and, if so, what kind of a time line are

we looking at? >> well, you know, i mean, it's so difficult to predict any kind of time line. one of the problems, not only that the japanese have, but everyone, is that there's conflicting information, the people at the facility sometimes don't know exactly what is going to happen or how it's happening because they're not sure they can trust their gauges on water and temperature and the like. >> are they basically operating blind at this point if they can't trust those gauges? >> in some respects, they are. and the more that the radiation increases and the worker access is limited, the more difficult it becomes. so they will be rotating the workers in and out and this crew of 50 may be replaced with another crew. >> this is a small crew. we know they have been exposed to so much radiation. how much longer can those 50 workers hold on and continue to work in those conditions?

>> you know, i really have no idea. they are probably closely monitoring radiation. they carry decimeters on them and they are clearly the people who know how to do things. so they are going to protect them as best they can. but that is a skeletonal crew. usually the plants operate 10 to 12 people in a control room, three shifts a day. my guess is that there are teams of people who might be able to replace them. but, you know, with an earthquake, a tsunami, no electric power and everybody is struggling. >> sharon, thanks for your time. >> you're welcome. help for the victims in japan pouring in from all over the world. 116 governments and counting, including the united states. cbs news senior white house correspondent bill plante has the latest on what the u.s. is doing over there to help right now.

good morning, bill. >> reporter: good morning to you, chris. yes, the u.s. government is helping and supporting japan in a number of ways. of most concerns is the ongoing nuclear crisis and there is a team on the ground of experts from the department of energy who are helping to monitor the radiation factor and that is serious as we know. there is also a group of nuclear experts here in washington who are in consultation with their japanese counterparts on ways to help fix, if possible, the nuclear reactors and shut down the chain reaction. the u.s. military has sent eight ships and 5,300 personnel and their mission includes flying key consans to assess damage and delivering food and water and help with rescue operations and two usualin' search and rescue teams on the ground. one from california and the other from virginia. among them, 144 rescue workers and 12 trained dogs and 45 tons of rescue equipment. of course, with the crisis in japan raising new concerns over

the safety of nuclear energy, president obama weighed in on tuesday, saying that he still believes that nuclear power is part of the answer to the u.s. energy problem. >> obviously, all energy sources have their downsides. we saw that with the gulf spill last summer. but i do think it's important for us to think through constantly how can can improve nuclear technologies to deal with the safety concerns. >> reporter: but the white house is well aware that the threat of a nuclear meltdown in japan is going to make it a lot more difficult to bring new nuclear reactors online here in the u.s. >> cbs' bill plante at the white house for us, thank you, bill. all of that aid from the united states and other countries are not keeping up with the needs of millions of disaster victims. cbs news correspondent ben tracy has the very latest for us on japan's growing humanitarian

crisis. >> reporter: these are just some of the more 500,000 people who are now homeless. the quake and then this wall of water washed away their lives as they knew them. they now huddle in hundreds of shelters like this one. among them, some americans. how long have you been here? >> i've been here for five days. it's holding a thousand to 2,000 people. all of the schools have been turned into evacuation centers. >> reporter: the situation here is getting worse by the day. these are the bathrooms and there is no running water. so people are basically flushing toilets using these buckets of water. even a proud and prosperous country like japan is overwhelmed by the destruction. this woman says i'm too old to be homeless. more than 90 nations have now offered aid and at least 59 million dollars in donations have poured in but the damage is so much more. estimated at nearly $200 billion. >> so many people have lost their homes, have lost their livelihoods. this is going to affect japan for many years to come. >> reporter: while japan's are

looking for bodies, 45 other countries, including the u.s. and china, are sending in search and rescue teams. however, they haven't been able to get to some of the hardest hit areas because of radiation leaking from this nuclear power plant. yet people are being saved. this elderly woman was rescued on tuesday. she had been stranded for five days after the tsunami roared ashore. ben tracy, cbs news, tokyo. >> now a check of the weather and here is marysol castro with our first check this morning. >> good morning,

>> thanks so much. thanks so much. that's your latest weather. now over to chris and airkra. >> thanks. still to come do we need to worry about japan's radiation reaching us here in the united states? parts of california drugstores can't keep radiation medicine on their shelves. are people being prudent or p r paranoid? we will get you that answer. you're watching "the early show" on cbs. ♪ [ water running ] [ indistinct talking on television ] hola padre. hola.

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just ahead this morning, more on the disaster in japan, including the fear factor here at home in the u.s. especially on the west coast. >> yeah, some people on the west coast seriously afraid of dangerous radiation coming from japan's nuclear plant that's going to spread across the pacific. so, they're scrambling to buy potassium iodide pills. pharmacies are selling out. we're going to have that story when we come back. >> this portion of "the early show" sponsored by dodge.

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xxx the disaster in japan means an end to foreign studies for and good morning. it's 7:25. time for some headlines. i'm frank mallicoat. the disaster in japan means that end of studies for college students from the bay area. students from cal, stanford and san francisco state are being called home. it's not clear when they will be back here in the bay area because a lot of people as you know are trying to get out of japan right now. and the state senate is expected to vote today on governor jerry brown's budget plan. brown has been trying to find republicans to support a special election to extend some temporary tax increases. a new field poll finds the majority of california voters supports governor brown's idea. a 17-year-old man from danville is the top winner in the intel science talent search. evan o'dorney beat 39 other finalists from across the country. he wins $100,000, which will

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good morning. well, the commute towards the bay bridge not too bad at all. in fact, a little lighter than

normal. not much of a backup at all right now. the metering lights are on. unfortunately, a lot of people may be stuck in orinda. westbound 24 before camino pablo still have an accident possibly blocking one lane. members of the phone force tell us that it's jammed solid through lafayette. barely moving. again, really slow on westbound 24 through lafayette towards orinda. all right. elsewhere, the silicon valley commute busy, westbound 237, stop and go from 880 towards zanker road. mass transit great option, all on time. that's your traffic. here's lawrence with your forecast. >> a lot of clouds around the bay area right now, still some scattered showers continuing but looks like the heaviest amounts of rainfall coming overnight and starting to taper off now. you can see one band sliding in now near livermore and east of fremont and san jose. looks like things will taper off more so, not a total rainout still a chance of showers, bring a raincoat with you today. tomorrow slight chance of showers, more rain as we look toward friday.

welcome back to t"the early show" here on cbs. chris wragge along with erica hill. the quake and tsunami in japan, damage estimates now $200 million plus. as we continue to follow this story here on cbs. welcome back to "the early show." here in the u.s., there was a little panic in the air right now, erica. some people worried that radiation from japan's nuclear power plants will spread this way. as a matter of fact, a lot of folks on the west coast are rushing out to buy potassium iodide pills. this is supposed to protect you against some of the effects of radiation. we're going to check in with experts to see if you really need to be concerned. >> before we get to that we want to check in with never glor standing by at the news desk

with another look at the top headlines. >> erica, good morning to you. more trouble at that crippled nuclear power plant in japan overnight. a spike in radiation forced workers to temporarily abandon the fukushima daiichi power plant, though they did return. there was another fire at the plant this morning. high levels of radiation prevented the use of helicopters overhead, which are trying to drop water on the plant. in bahrain,

the radiation threat in japan is creating a different kind of fallout on the west coast of the united states. concern the winds will carry

radioactive particles across the pacific. cbs news correspondent terry mccarthy now has the story. >> reporter: as fears grow of a meltdown in japan -- >> everything has, you know, been bought up and disappeared. >> reporter: -- there is panic buying of potassium iodide tablets in los angeles. pharmacists can't keep it in stock. >> i would characterize it as a bit of hysteria. demand for it is off the charts. >> i would like to have something there, just in case, because if it's going through the air, i don't know if it's getting to me or not. >> reporter: some buyers went from pharmacy to pharmacy in search of the tablets. >> knowing what the atomic bomb has done in the past, knowing what nuclear can do, it concerns, you know. >> you never know if you're being told the whole truth. so you want to make sure that you're prepared. >> reporter: potassium iodide helps protect people who may be exposed to high levels of radiation. it's already been given to some affected people in japan. dr. glenn braunstein sees patients with thyroid cancer. that's one of the biggest risks from nuclear exposure in a

muttdown. he says the 5,500 miles between the u.s. and the nuclear plant in japan is more than a safe distance. >> people have asked me if i have potassium iodide and i say no. and they ask me if i'm going to get some. and i say no. >> reporter: and you're the pro. >> and i deal with this. >> reporter: the images of the stricken japanese plant are disturbing. but in this country, the fear of nuclear fallout may be much greater than the threat. >> everybody is out of stock. >> reporter: terry mccarthy, cbs news, los angeles. >> and joining us now is university of georgia professor cham dallas, a nuclear energy expert, and medical correspondent dr. jennifer ashton is with us once again. good morning to both of you. >> good morning. >> good morning. >> cham, let me ask you, i know you have a colleague at the tokyo electric company which is the company that runs the fukushima plant that you've been in contact with. what exactly are they saying over there right now? because we're getting so many different reports. >> well, these 50 people that are still at the reactor complex in the control room, although they were evacuated last night briefly, and now they're back in

apparently, yeah, one of them had a pretty compelling quote. he said that, i have been radiated, i'm not afraid to die, and this is my job. and that's a direct quote. you just got to admire those kind of people. right now, they are the ones that are preventing this crisis from deteriorating even further. >> and they really are the last line of defense there. these people, like you said, they seem to be committed to giving their lives in order to protect whatever people they possibly can right now. >> they are. they are the last line of defense. if they're out of there, i can't imagine, and i've been in contact with a lot of people, a lot of experts, i don't know how they would keep those reactor cores covered if those people get out of there again. >> let's talk about the situation now. we just saw the report a second ago talking about potential radiation making its way to the west coast. is that something that people of the united states on the west coast need to be worried about in your estimation? >> well, the good news is right now is that is not a hazard at the present time.

the people in california can rest easy. the amount of radiation that you're getting now, or are liable to get in the near future from japan would be less than you would get in a tsa screen. okay? it's just not a hazard right now. i can't see how that's going to change in the immediate future. >> the example that we keep hearing about chernobyl, and with the disaster there, and with the outreach that it had, can we compare that to what we're seeing now in japan? i know they've got kind of that security cone around the area. >> that's more good news. as you know, i was involved at chernobyl for ten years, going in and out of the mostly high contaminated areas in the world, and what we learned from that is, and you can see on the map there, that the health effects, and the high dose radioactivity, that's about as far as it got. matter of fact, most of it was about half of that. and so that's with 100 times as much radioactivity as the hiroshima and nagasaki bombs combined released at chernobyl.

the japanese situation we're at right now. it's much, much less than that. so if at chernobyl we didn't get effects, you know, 1200 miles away, certainly not in the united states, then we can be fairly certain that is not going to happen here, even if you get a worst-case scenario there. >> all right. dr. ashton let me talk to you about this. basically we've got reports from some store owners calling in, almost a panic with people rushing out to buy these potassium iodide pills right now. is that something that we're hearing from the professor here, that they really don't have much to worry about that? but what is the deal with these pills? >> right, chris. we've seen this before. we've seen it with many other disasters in this country. we saw it with anthrax and people trying to stock pill cipro with h1n1 and stockpiling tamiflu. for this particular type of disaster, as all of the experts, including dr. dallas have said, there does not seem to be a need for people in this country to worry about getting ki or potassium iodide pills for this disaster. there has been in the past about the debate for people who live

within 10 to 20 miles from a plant having it on hand for an emergency but for this particular disaster, absolutely not necessary. >> could this have been more of a result of the surgeon general who was in san francisco yesterday who basically said, this could potentially be a necessary precaution? because seems to be flying off of store shelves. >> right, in fact, we had to call over 20 pharmacies in new york city to get this example of potassium iodide pills. so people are panicking. and right now, all experts are saying that is really premature. we have to remember this only protects the thyroid. doesn't protect the entire body and only if you will have direct exposure to a source of radiation within 24 hours. so right now that's really premature. >> our take away here is the people on the west coast have nothing to be worried about. >> right now, and in the immediate future, i cannot possibly see any scenario that would result in any hazardous levels of radioactivity getting to california. unless this thing really deteriorates a lot more than -- than is even conceivable right now. >> professor cham dallas, thank you very much. dr. jennifer ashton, good to see

you once again. coming up next, the disaster in japan shakes up wall street. we're going to tell you what's happening in the markets and what could happen in the days to come. this is "the early show" on cbs. ç? [ bell rings ] well, well, well. what do we have here? frozen pipes. a classic. well put. pretty obvious. ms. young? that's why it's so important, as an agent, to sit down with our clients, so we can get to know them and talk about stuff like this. why don't they just turn off the main water supply? you do realize this is just an exercise, right? - i do now. - moving on. okay, let's get the fire-retardant suits on. [ man announcing ] we are insurance. ♪ we are farmers bum-pa-dum, bum-bum-bum-bum ♪

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those devastating pictures tell one part of the story in japan. but there's also a lot of uncertainty when people look at the economy, and the impact it could have. now this was a little bit better day for stocks in japan today. they closed up a little bit. the nikkei did. but there is still continued concern about what will happen in both the short and the long-term when it comes to the economy. so joining us with a closer look at that situation is rebecca jarvis, cbs news business and economics correspondent. so, we did see, i guess, a little bit of good news. needs to be tempered in how we say that. but there's been so much movement in the nikkei, the

index that everybody looks to in japan for their stock market over the last few days. what's the situation right now? >> well, of course, it is difficult to talk about economics when the human toll is so grave here. but the volatility that you're seeing on the ground in japan right now is really being reflected in its stock market. stocks started out the week down very significantly. 11%. the biggest drop that we have seen since the crash of 1987. but there is a bit of a rebound today. still there are serious fears and concerns about japan and its economy going forward because, just like the united states, japan was in a state of recovery. economic recovery when the quake and the tsunami hit. and this is certainly going to be a big weight on its shoulders going forward. >> and it's been a lot of concern that these three disasters, because there really are three here, the quake, the tsunami and now the nuclear issues, could plunge them into yet another recession. depending on the news, too, that they're getting every day, literally which way the wind blows, because it brings -- could potentially be bringing radiation with it, that's affecting the economy. >> yeah.

and this is something i'm hearing from traders who are on the ground in japan. a lot of offices, from bank of america to even goldman sachs are contemplating moving their locations. some of them are having people stay home from work as a result of the radiation in the air. and they say as long as the nuclear question remains open, things will continue to be volatile in the market, as well as the economy there. >> of course, you see this played out here for a number of reasons, because there's been a global -- the global impact just on the psyche. and also when it comes to all of these important companies in japan where a number of things are made that people use around the globe. >> yes. there are a number of companies, like you say, from toyota to toshiba to panasonic, canon, these are all companies that have seen their operations in japan, son some level, change. so they have had a number of their plants shut down. in the case of toyota, for example, toyota manufactures its prius in one place, it's japan. so, while things have been shut down in japan, in many of these companies, we may see some changes in our products here. however, like you say, we're in

a globalized world now. and so some places can shift their production back to the united states. but things like computer chips, for example, which go in smartphones and ipads, those could be in short supply. and that could impact what we see on the ground here. >> those are all the things we'll be watching. the dow fell nearly 300 points at one point yesterday. finished down 137. we'll see the impact again today. rebecca, thanks. we'll be right back with more. you're watching "the early show" on cbs. but basically, i'm a runner. last year. (oof). i had a bum knee that needed surgery. but it got complicated, because i had an old injury. so i wanted a doctor who had done this before. and unitedhealthcare's database helped me find a surgeon. you know you can't have great legs, if you don't have good knees. we're 78,000 people looking out for 70 million americans. that's health in numbers. unitedhealthcare.

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and that a big difference can grow from a small budget. for those of us with grass on our sneakers... dirt on our jeans... and a lawn that's as healthy as our savings... the days are about to get a whole lot greener. ♪ more saving. more doing. that's the power of the home depot. we're lowering the cost of flexing our green thumbs. this mulch is just $4.97. welcome back. hate to even read this next story but yesterday we tall you about taylor anderson a virginia native teaching in northern japan who hadn't been heard from since the earthquake and tsunami hit. her parents back home were desperately trying to reach her. >> just before we were about to speak with taylor's parents here on the "early" show they got a message that she was safe. that she had been located. late last night, however, the andersons were told by the organization that taylor works for that, in fact, a mistake had been made and taylor is still missing this morning.

the family hoping and praying, of course, she is in an area that may not yet have been reached by rescuers. >> we've reached out to that organization that taylor is working for, and they had no comment at this time. but like we mentioned yesterday, that section of ishinomaki, it's a section that's basically cut off from all of civilization at this point. so there was a -- there was a, i guess, a remote possibility that she may still be there. they're holding out hope. at this point we just don't know. >> what a horrific emotional roller coaster for the family. so our heart goes out to them, and, of course, we hope and pray that there is some good news for them very soon. we'll be right back. you're watching "the early show" on cbs. of the same old -- with chili's new $6 lunch break. choose a salad or tasty soup. pair it with a texas toast half sandwich, like our southwestern blt with applewood smoked bacon. served with fries, it's big flavor for just 6 bucks! weekdays at chili's. uncovering hotel freebies like instant discounts, free-nights...

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when we come back, interesting story, two young men from utah, both struck by lightning, both technically dead for about a half hour each.

>> the good news is they're here with us in the studio this morning. they have made an incredible recovery and they're going to tell us how they're doing. that's ahead on "the early show." local news is next. [ female announcer ] all you need for sensitive skin. all you expect from the number-one recommended detergent by dermatologists. all free clear is free of dyes and perfumes. and has powerful stainlifters to help get your whole wash clean. it's all good.

b-s five... i'm frank mallicoat. good morning, it is 7:55. time for news headlines from cbs 5. i'm sydnie kohara. an estimated 19,000 educators in california have received pink slips. protestors rallying against cuts to education yesterday, this was oakland, where more than 600 teachers received the layoff warnings. pink slips recipients may not necessarily get laid off but state law requires schools to notify them if there is a chance they will lose their jobs. pg&e plans to test or replace hundreds of miles of gas pipelines. it's all part of the fallout from the san bruno fire and explosion. in a statement yesterday the utility says it will target 152 miles of untested pipe similar to the line that exploded last year. traffic and weather around the bay area in just a moment. stay with us. i love america,

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good morning. let's go out towards cupertino, northbound 280 before highway 85. we have an injury crash there blocking one lane and unfortunately, it is backed up all the way towards downtown, just seeing slower speeds. here's live look at 280 traffic right before the 880 interchange. and your drive time, unfortunately, in the red now. 23 minutes between 101 and highway 85. then speeds improve. at the bay bridge toll plaza,

not doing too bad. traffic actually lighter than normal. only jammed to the very end of the parking lot and just into those middle lanes. traffic is still slow though from orinda -- or from lafayette towards orinda. we have an injury crash or we had an injury crash that's now been cleared before camino pablo. that is your opinion traffic. for your forecast, gray day out there, here's lawrence with a check on that. >> just the way you like it elizabeth. we have more of that coming our way. more scattered showers outside and it's starting to taper off. we had a good soaking early on but now much more widely scattered. you can see a couple of cells moving on by here. but bring that umbrella with you. it looks like things could stay a little bit wet as we head into the day today. as we look toward the afternoon, we'll a little more sunshine and skies parting just a bit. temperatures not all that bad, still 50s and 60s. we have some colder storms headed in our direction. there is a slight chance of a few leftover showers for tomorrow. doesn't look like a big deal but friday could be, we have a good storm heading our way looks like on friday. it will be much colder expect snow levels down to 3,000 feet.

showers continuing into the weekend.

top of the hour here on "the early show," i'm erica hill along with chris wragge. as we look at these along with chris wragge. as we look at these . top of the hour here on "the early show." i'm erica hill along with chris wragge. as we look at these pictures, we're going through the debris in japan trying to find what they can. of course, the recovery efforts under way. 450,0p 450,000 in shelters without water and power. awaiting news on what is happening millions without water, without power, and they are, of course, awaiting news on what is happening in their country with these increasing radiation levels, and the -- and the disaster happening at fukushima daiichi power plant nuclear plant. all eyes are on that. >> the developments, obviously, each and every hour change, whether it's at the nuclear plant, whether it's these remote

stories, finding survivors, which are, of course, dwindling as we go hour to hour. there is so much destruction out there and so much damage. you just wonder how long, and what type of efforts will it take for these people to recover. we want to check in now. >> jeff glor is standing by at the news desk with the very latest from japan, as well as the rest of the headlines. >> good morning to you. here is the latest on what's happening in japan. the foo coup shi ma daiichi power plant suffered more setbacks overnight. another fire broke out at the number four reactor. there was a surge in radiation and the workers there tried to avert a disaster were temporarily evacuated. but then they did return. and an attempt to use a helicopter, meanwhile, to drop water on the reactors was called off because of radiation levels detected above. and a japanese tv network reports radiation has been found in fukushima's water supply. president obama says he's been assured that the radiation being released in japan will not affect hawaii or the west coast. during an interview yesterday mr. obama said nuclear power is an important source of energy in this country, and he says that

all nuclear plants in the u.s. are closely monitored. >> nothing is completely failsafe. nothing is completely foolproof. and so, each time these kind of events happen i think it's very important for us to examine how we can further improve the safety and performance of these plants. >> 20% of america's electricity is provided by nuclear power plants. the civil unrest in the middle east has spread to syria for the second day in a row, anti-government protesters took to the streets of damascus. this youtube video was taken yesterday. security forces clashed with a larger crowd that had gathered today. in libya moammar gadhafi rallied supporters today and taunted western countries backing the imposition of a no-fly zone. gadhafi's son says the rebels will be defeated there just 48 hours. secretary of state hillary clinton visited the center of the egyptian revolution today, cairo's tahrir square. her unscheduled trip this morning comes during a two-day visit to egypt. italian prime minister

silvio berlusconi is speaking out against the sex charges against him. the 74-year-old told a newspaper that he's too old to do all the things he's accused of doing. he allegedly paid for sex with a minor. 33 women were said to be involved in berlusconi's parties. the people of miami dade county have spoken and mayor carlos alvarez is out. yesterday, 88% of residents voted to remove him from office. it's the largest recall of a local politician in u.s. history. alvarez was under fire for increasing property taxes, and at the same time, giving raises to staffers. christian gerhartsreiter, the man who claimed to be a member of the rockefeller family, is facing murder charges this morning. he was convicted in 2009 of kidnapping his 7-year-old daughter. he's used several aliases including clark rockefeller. yesterday he was charged with a 1985 murder of a southern california man. some lean cuisine meals are under recall today.

frozen spaghetti and meatball entrees are being recalled. they may contain pieces of hard plastic. the federal officials say the health risk is low. the recall involves more than 10,000 pounds of food in 9.5 ounce packages. for the first time in 35 years an alaskan native has won the iditarod sled dog race. john baker and his team of ten dogs shattered the old record by four hours yesterday. it took them 8 days, 19 hours, and 46 minutes to finish the 1,000 mile race. baker won a $50,000 prize, and a brand-new truck. and britain's prince william and kate middleton announced a charity gift fund this morning. they're encouraging the pub limb to donate to a group of five charities instead of sending the couple a wedding gift. those support wildlife conservation and helping the environment. back over to chris and erica. >> all right, jeff. >> you've been wondering for months where they were going to be registered.

now we know. >> it's such a good idea. >> great idea. >> my brother and my sister-in-law did that, encouraged people to give to charity instead of a wedding gift. >> now everybody can be a part. >> there you go.

this weather report spred >> this weather report sponsored by the makers of zyrtec. zyrtec. love the air. >> thanks so much. that's your latest weather. now over to erica. >> mary, thanks. last fall we first told you the story of two utah teenagers who were nearly killed by a lightning strike. well, after a lot of hard work they have both recovered. we're going to speak with them for the first time about their ordeal in just a moment. but first, cbs' priya david clemens tells us how they're lives were literally changed in a flash. >> reporter: it was october 5th,

2010, a thunderstorm was rolling through st. george, utah. best friends alex lambson and dane zdunich were waiting outside for a ride home from school. suddenly a bolt of lightning hit dane in the head, and passed through him, striking alex, as well. >> alexander, his clothes are gone. they're just gone. and they're smoldering around the edges. >> reporter: teacher ron hansen was first on the scene and found both boys unconscious. he started cpr on alex. >> all i'm smelling is smoke. and i'm thinking, his lungs are just burnt right out. >> reporter: school officials tried to revive the boys until paramedics arrived to take over. >> direct strikes are usually fatal. >> reporter: dr. mike tremea was in the emergency room that day. he recalls dane had no pulse for 38 minutes. >> so he stopped breathing and his heart stopped beating. he was clinically dead. >> reporter: miraculously doctors managed to save both boys. dane was released after one week, while alex remained hospitalized for nearly two months.

>> i thank you for all your help and all your hopes and prayers you have given me. >> reporter: burned over 40% of his body, he had to relearn how to walk. pushing through pain, alex continues making strides. >> who would have thought he would ever walk again, much less run. >> reporter: both boys are again immersed in schoolwork and grateful to be able to thank their teacher, ron hansen, for refusing to give up when all appeared lost. >> he said, i owe you my life. excuse me. >> even if you think there's no hope, don't stop. because, my son is pretty much back to the way he was before the strike. >> reporter: priya david clemens, cbs news. >> and here with us in the studio this morning are alex lambson and dane zdunich, along with alex's mom kaleen talley and dane's mother leslie broderick. good to have you with us this morning. >> thank you very much. >> it's been a couple of months

now. i'll start with you. how are you feeling? >> well, i've got a bunch of scars and i have nerve pain, chronic nerve pain. that's pretty much the extent of my injuries right now. just, the scars up on my neck. >> right. >> and then, the nerve pain. that's it. >> that's it. >> that's it. other than that, i'm good. >> okay. how about you, dane? >> i've lost a lot of weight. >> yeah. >> but, other than that, i've -- i've been recovering really well. >> this is a pretty amazing thing to live through, as i understand it in your statistics class, you guys have just been talking about the probability of being struck by lightning. >> we were talking about the probability of the school being struck again, because it hit the roof of the school the day before. >> yeah. last thing you expected for this to happen to you, of course. >> yeah. >> we were talking about it that day. >> how much do you remember about what happened? or maybe i should say, when do your memories start? >> they actually start after the strike, in the hospital.

at least for me, about two days later. is when i stopped asking, where am i? what happened? we woke up in the hospital and like i said, i continued to ask my mom whenever i would wake up, every hour on the hour, where am i? why am i in the hospital? she'd have to tell me, dane, you were hit by lightning, you and alex. and, finally, they -- or finally i caught on. i figured out that we really had been hit by lightning and i was stuck in the hospital. so was alex. >> what a moment. i can't even imagine what that must have been like for you guys when it finally sunk in. for you as mothers to get those calls to show up at the hospital, and to learn that your sons had essentially died at one point, and then here they were coming back to life. what were those moments like when you first saw your son? >> it was unbelievable. alex, he caught on fire. his body was on fire, so the smell, just the smell and seeing

him and the sight was something, obviously, i will never forget. but just when they called and said your son's been struck by lightning. i kept saying lightning? lightning? you know, it's a clear day we were just a few miles away. really a surprise and very unreal. >> just a little. when dane kept asking questions, kept saying, mom, where am i, was there ever a point where you were concerned that maybe you wouldn't be able to get through to him, and -- >> yeah, in fact. when he was looking at us, and asking us, at first, he still had a tube in his throat, a breathing tube. so he would ask us kind of with sign language, you know, what happened. question in his eyes, and trying to explain to him so he could understand it. yeah, we were concerned. you know, is he going to remember things prior to the strike? it was very scary. >> after brain tests and mris -- >> yeah, considering everything that happened, you guys are in great shape today. >> yeah. >> you have a little bit of a road ahead of you, though. i understand that you both have a pretty good sense of humor. you must really need that now.

>> yeah. >> do you joke about this? >> oh, we did, actually, in the hospital. >> in the hospital. >> and like i was still unconscious pretty much, and we were joking about it already. >> we were coherent. >> what did the doctors and the nurses say about that? >> i don't know. >> they thought they were pretty funny. >> i would think it was probably a healthy part of the recovery process. >> i guess i was pretty funny on morphine. >> really? that's good to know. >> so what happens now for you guys? i know october 5th you're actually going to sort of celebrate as a second birthday for both of you, is that right? >> yeah. >> why. tell us a little bit why you want to do that. >> well, we both died, and in a sense, we're reborn. so it's kind of an interesting experience, obviously. so we're going to kind of celebrate that as another birthday. >> you didn't really, as a teenager, you know, you typically feel like nothing's going to happen to you.

this has really had to change your outlook on life. >> well, it's kind of funny, because me and dane, we used to run across rocks and jump down pretty much like 20 foot cliffs and do a lot of stupid things and dirt bike, and light fireworks and stuff like that. but the thing that finally kills us is just waiting for a ride outside school. >> yeah. >> but, it didn't really kill you because you're back with us and that's the most important thing. >> i was dead for 28 minutes -- or 20 minutes, he was dead for 38 minutes. so, yeah, it killed us. >> we have the stubborn teenagers on our side. they were both strong, in good shape, very, very strong-willed so they have overcome a lot to be here today. it's amazing. >> do you still sort of hug them a little bit more than -- >> a lot. >> absolutely. >> a lot. >> unfortunately. >> alex still requires 24-hour care. and so it's great. we get to spend 24 hours a day

with him. and i know a lot of 17-year-olds wouldn't enjoy that. but we're enjoying having this time to spend with him. >> you're loving every minute of it, aren't you? >> i get a lot of free candy out of it. >> hey. whatever works. great to have all of you with us. we love this has been the outcome of the story. we'd like to follow your progress. >> thank you very much. >> now, here's chris. >> erica, thank you. coming up next, the pursuit of happiness can make you unhappy. even unhealthy. we're going to tell you why and give you some advice so it doesn't happen to you. this is "the early show" here on cbs. you've been stuck in the garage, while my sneezing and my itchy eyes took refuge from the dust in here and the pollen outside. but with 24-hour zyrtec®, i get prescription strength relief from my worst allergy symptoms. it's the brand allergists recommend most. ♪ lily and i are back on the road again. where we belong. with zyrtec®, i can love the air®.

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but when i was diagnosed with prostate cancer... i needed a coach. our doctor was great, but with so many tough decisions i felt lost. unitedhealthcare offered us a specially trained rn who helped us weigh and understand all our options. for me cancer was as scary as a fastball is to some of these kids. but my coach had hit that pitch before. turning data into useful answers. we're 78,000 people looking out for 70 million americans. that's health in numbers. unitedhealthcare. in this morning's "healthwatch," health and happiness. research shows that happy people tend to be healthier and live longer, but some psychologists believe the pursuit of happiness can actually do more harm than good. psychologist and "early" show contributor dr. jennifer hartstein is here to tell us why. how in the world can the pursuit of happiness be detrimental? >> it does seem counterintuitive, doesn't it?

and the truth is, what they have found, is that we tend to pursue short-term gains. so we have to define happiness, and we have to figure out, are we looking only at the short-term immediate gratification kind of happiness. or are we looking at longer-term ideas of fulfillment and contentment that's going to bring us down into our older years, and that's really what they're talking about. the difference between the two. >> all right so what are some of the signs, looking and searching for the good life is actually really holding us back? >> well, so we have to stop and we have to think about a couple things. we want to stop and think about are we chronically dissatisfied. are we always looking for something and feel good for a brief period of time? and then we're looking for the next thing. and we're never really feeling that level of contentment. and the second part of that is, are we always looking for the next big thing. the next thing that's going to make us feel excited, good, positive all that stuff? >> drives me crazy with people that just can't be happy in the moment. >> they can't be happy in the moment. >> no matter how good things are. >> right. the grass is always greener on the other side. they can't enjoy where they are right there. >> what does the research say about what does make us happy?

>> in the long run, certain things do make us happy, finding a purpose in your life. having goals that you can achieve and really give back to yourself and to other people. having families. all of those things that might seem really hard in the short-term, build all of this positivity and are really protective factors for us in the long term. >> what are some of the results -- how does it directly affect our health? >> our physical health. >> this concept, pursuit of wanting what's better? >> well, the way that -- we want what's better, it actually is a detriment to our health. if we can build in positive things to have longer-term fulfillment, there's stomp really great things that happen. first of all, we can have a longer life, as you mentioned. second of all, we can be less stressed. third of all we have a stronger immune system, don't get sick as much. and according to the study 22% of the people reported they're less likely to have heart disease. that's all really great, protective factors of finding that fulfillment. >> are certain people kind of wired for happiness? >> probably. absolutely, people are hard wired and the question then becomes, does it come from

families that also have this containtment and fulfillment built in? >> is it possible to strive for a more happy, healthy life? >> definitely. find your purpose. figure out what that is. find that spot in your life. do random acts of kindness for other people. and surround yourself with positive people. it can be contagious. >> you know what they say, we can only change the world one random act of kindness at a time. >> absolutely. pay it forward. >> it's true, paying it forward, it does. i know it works for me personally and i know it works for a lot of other people out there. >> why not try it? it can happen. dr. jennifer hartstein, great to see you once again. good advice. be happy. be right back. you're watching "the early show" on cbs. stay with us. >> "cbs healthwatch" sponsored by bayer aspirin. take charge of your heart health at iamproheart.com. the preventative things that you need to do for your heart health. for me, it means an aspirin regimen. before you begin an aspirin regimen. speak to your doctor.

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to help get your whole wash clean. if you're one of the many people who may need glasses but don't like wearing them, some new ones we're going to show you could change your mind. >> the cutting edge in eye wear

including the superfocus that can easily adjust to different,, ,,,,

alameda face the greates mi were to good morning, 8:25 is your time. time for some news headlines, i'm frank mallicoat. oakland and alameda facing the greatest danger if a tsunami were to hit san francisco bay. new maps show the areas most at risk. the golden gate strait would direct the brunt of that wave right towards the east bay but scientists say such a tsunami is unlikely. and environmental protection agency has decided to install more electronic radiation monitors along the west coast. concerns are growing that the harmful waves could drift here from the damaged nuclear plant in japan. there is currently one monitor here in san francisco. an estimated 19,000 teachers and staff have been given pink slips all across california, just in oakland 657

teachers received the layof warnings. depending what happens with the budget, may 15 districts will decide how many teachers will be fired. traffic and weather coming right up. stay with us. ,,,, ,,,,,,

southbound 880 at a street

injury accident and stall in lane so slow towards the san mateo bridge. the bridge looks great free- flowing across the span, 13 minutes in either direction between hayward and the peninsula. it's slow west bound 4 still from central lafayette towards the caldecott tunnel. and the earlier crash in orinda now since cleared. but the bay bridge we have not seen our usual backups at the bay bridge all morning. the metering lights are on but traffic very light and just starting to slow now northbound 880 past the coliseum. that's your traffic. for your forecast this gray day, here's lawrence. >> all right, elizabeth. yup, we had a lot of rainfall early on today. things have tapered off quite a bit now, a lot of gray skies outside and doppler, well, it's picking up on a little bit of moisture in the bay area, not much though as things settle down a bit. it's going to be more widespread throughout the day slight chance of scattered showers still but i think toward the afternoon maybe a couple of sunny breaks, too. temperatures in the 50s and 60s. tomorrow slight chance of showers. better chance of rain on friday. ,,,,,,,,

welcome back to "the early show." chris wragge along with erica hill, jeff glor, marysol castro. marysol's got some work to do. you saw the umbrellas out there. >> i did. galoshes. >> does that mean spring is coming, right? spring showers? >> for some of us. >> i'm thinking positive. >> going to be 70 in new york on

friday. >> all about positivity. >> pursuit of happiness. coming up, would you like a pair of glasses with a built-in light to help you read in dark places? >> yeah! >> or one that changes focus automatically depending on what you're looking at. guess what, we've got them all for you right now. this weekend is the international vision expo. we're going to get a sneak peek at some of the most eye-opening advances in eye ware. >> including unbreakable frames. my children have broken my several times. also ahead, st. patrick's day is tomorrow. >> it is. >> all right. >> we're excited. >> yes, we are. >> and to really get us in the mood, katie lee is here to help prepare a fantastic st. patrick's day feast with a guinness, you can't have it any other way. she's making fish and chips and some other pub grub and, y know, the guinness. >> katie's got beer. >> it smells so good. >> it is wafting through the entire building. it's amazing. >> let's get to it. first, though -- >> fish and chips with a check

thanks so much. that's your latest weather. now over to chris. >> thank you very much. the international vision expo kicks off today in new york featuring the very latest in eye ware technology. "early" show contributor karen winter brill takes a look at one new style of glasses that could spark an ire ware revolution. ♪ i can see gleerly now the rain is gone ♪ ♪ >> while we all strive to see the world through perfect eyes, the reality is many of us need a little help. >> i have distance problems. i have to wear them while i'm driving now that i'm older. >> reporter: more than 149 million adults in this country wear eyeglasses. the glasses you have on now, what are they used for? >> to drive, to play golf. whatever. >> reporter: and while one pair of glasses may seem like one too many, oftentimes it's simply not enough. >> i have a pair of glasses for

my computer. i have a pair of glasses that i'm wearing now which are progressives. >> reporter: bob is just one of an estimated 50 million americans carrying multiple pairs of specs. one pair might be used for reading. another for working. a third for driving and yet another for just watching tv. it's often caused by a condition called presbyopia. >> it's something that occurs to people over age 40. you lose your ability to see up close little by little. and then when you hit 40, you actually run out of arm. >> reporter: but a new all in one technology is emerging. these superfocus glasses change the strength of their liquid lenses. allowing you to see different distances by moving this tiny adjustable lever. put your finger on it and adjust the lenses. so you can auto focus. >> that is so cool. >> reporter: while the superfocus glasses were met with an overwhelming response for their function -- do you think you would throw away your multiple pair of glasses? >> first chance a got. >> reporter: they require a

design that's getting mixed reviews for style. >> looks like i'm a kid. all over again. >> reporter: exactly. >> so is that? harry potter? >> reporter: how do they look? >> different for a man my age, i'll tell you that. >> reporter: a different look with a sharp focus on convenience. ♪ suddenly i see >> i think it looks pretty good. here to give us the scoop on the superfocus glasses and other new trends, dr. justin bazan an optometrist and spokesman for the vision council. how are you? >> thank you, chris. good to see you, too. >> what do you think of these, the superfocus? >> the superfocus glasses are fantastic. it's a revolutionary way to wear glasses. what's so you 'nique about this is you're able to auto focus on whatever you're looking at by simply moving the slider across the top. when you do that it changes the shape of the lens, putting everything that you're looking at into sharp, clear and comfortable focus for you. >> these are called the empower glasses? >> right. these are the world's first electronically focused pair of glasses. they are amazing. at the bottom of these glasses

there's an invisible zone that's electronically activated to put whatever you're looking at up close and in focus. you can turn it off and on by tapping it or set it on automatic. so when you look down you have that power there. >> that's amazing. >> we also have a little charger that will charge glasses up and you'll keep the charge for at least two to three days. they're the latest and greatest styles. so they have some hot trends out right now. >> i would think that would be the key, too. it's nice to have some of the technology but they've got to look good. >> they've got to look good, as well. these are fantastic. >> what about these? >> these are the switch. an interchangeable lens system. if you're driving up to the golf course wearing polarized driving glasses and then when you want to hit the course you can change these lenses out and put in a green lens which is going to really take some streaks off your golf game. >> a little bulky, though. >> sunglasses usually are. >> these i kind of like. >> these are the columbia ifts. this is going to give you two separate pairs of glasses in one pair of glasses. so what they have the ability to do is switch out the temples,

the sides of the frames. you have a pair that you can wear to the office and around town and then you can switch them out for a pair you can wear underneath helmets and goggles. >> they look like the ones you're wearing. >> sip lar. mine are a little different. >> these are the unbreakable ones? >> they're super tough. made of a new alloy and this is the lightest, most durable frame on the market. great for people who hate the feeling of heavy glasses. super lightweight. you're going to hardly notice them on. >> and can you twist these and everything? >> they are. they're really tough. >> erica, you were talking about those earlier. those are the ones for you. these glasses here, what do we have? >> these are gun ar opts. gunnar has figured out how to keep our eyes more comfortable working at the computer. a nice custom tint. a prescription to help us focus comfortably and a tight wrap to keep some of the moisture in your eyes. >> even without a prescription could you use them on the laptop? and these are really unique. >> yes. >> you can actually use these,

and they'll light up for you. >> try these on. >> can we dim the lights a second? >> reading is tough. so we need reading glasses, also we can put more light on the page. >> are lights on them? >> there's a little switch on the inside here that you can turn on. right here like this. like that. >> okay. >> and then you're able to put your light right where you're reading. great for reading in bed. >> wow. look a little bizarre. >> luke, i'm your father. okay. so we've got those. lights back up, please. i love this place. and finally, in our last unique category here. those are the motos. >> we have the ecoline from moto. this is made from 95% recycled material, plastic, stainless. for every frame you buy they're going to plant a tree. on top of that they give you a box to put your old specs back in and ship this off to people in need all around the world. >> one frame, one tree.

>> exactly. >> thank you. great to see you. >> thank you very much. >> for more on these products go to our website, earlyshow.cbsnews.com. a little bit of everything for you right here. now here's erica. >> i love it. good stuff. chris, thanks. we talk about man caves. you've heard them. we've talked about them on "the early show." how about a mom cave, ladies? mothers across america are starting to take out space for themselves, creating a comfortable area at home where they can both work and relax. cbs news correspondent michelle miller went to one mom's house to help her make her own. >> reporter: for decades, man has had a den to watch sports, eat chips, and recline. well, move over men, and make way for mom caves. from basements to spare bedrooms, women are creating kid and husband-free hideaways of their very own at home. anne bell from vienna, virginia,

is a busy wife and mom of three with a full-time job. she loves crafting but she doesn't have the personal space. so she asked us to help transform a spare room into something more inspiring. >> i call it the craft room. but the kids call it the crap room. >> why on earth would they say that? >> i started moving my sewing ì& in the room just to sort of claim it as my territory in hopes that one day i can make it my room. to do my things. >> reporter: so we enlisted the help of interior designer and mom cave expert elaine griffin to customize a cave just for anne. >> it's a hot, cluttered mess right now. >> true. >> but in 24 hours we are going to transform this into the mom cave of anne's dreams. let's get some clutter out first, girls. >> we've got this done. now what? >> you're clutter free.

it's time to go shopping. >> reporter: that sounds good. >> this way. every mom cave needs five things. need a place to sit. a place to store. >> now this i'm liking. >> you need a place to work. you want to have a place to visit. and then you want it to be super personalized. >> something a little more fun. a little more sassy. >> good girl. >> a lamp in every corner. >> but that's the rug. >> love that. >> who's decorating now? >> after our whirlwind shopping spree, the renovating magic began. ♪ just 24 hours later, it was time for anne to see the results. remember before?

from crap room to mom cave, this family dumping ground, full of clutter and chaos, has been redesigned into something truly special. just for anne. >> oh, wow. oh, my gosh! this is fabulous. >> does it look remotely familiar? >> no. oh, my gosh! everything a mom cave needs. a place to sit. a place to work. and it's personalized. i knew you liked to travel so we filled it with art from some of the places you've been. >> so this is all yours. this is amazing. >> with room to feed her creativity, anne now has everything she needs to invest in yourself. >> welcome to my mom cave. >> and her family. >> what do you think? >> oh, my goodness. >> so cool. >> i don't think we'll see you for awhile. >> well, you've seen it. do you love it?

>> i love it. guess what i get to do now? >> what? >> good-bye! >> kicking them out for her own space. joining us now with more on the mom cave movement is relationship expert heidi banks. always good to have you with us. we look at it sort of talking about it as a new trend. but, in fafrkt, going way back in history, moms, especially, have had their own space. we're just reclaiming it. >> exactly. actually, if you go back to the famous essay by virginia woefl which was a room of her own, she said women needed a room to write in. what she was really talking about was the need to claim their own space. we've always had this historically but as houses got smaller, money got tighter, women went off to work, these rooms disappeared, and in the '50s and '60s, women used to have their sewing rooms where they say, honey, off to the sewing room. men knew what that meant. it meant they needed their alone space. their time. >> so now we're reclaiming that. this is really important, to

have time for a woman's mental health. >> it's so important. because women have a tendency to always be there for everybody else. and to leave themselves the last of the equation. especially working moms that are coming home, and then they're helping the kids with the homework, and they're preparing dinner. >> and they're collapsing from sheer exhaustion? >> exactly. to have that place to just go and, of course, not everybody can afford to have a room of their own. but you could always have a space of your own. >> even a corner somewhere. a chair. >> exactly. >> elaine talked about in the decorating aspect, five things she thought were essential. a place to work. a place to sit. a place to visit. but there are also things that can really be essential to your own mental well-being if you're making this into your space. what are some things that should be there? >> you could be in the corner of a room where it's just a comfortable chair and a place where you can close your eyes and meditate or to journal. doesn't have to be as elaborate. maybe some music, turn off the cell phone. just put up the notice that says, this is my space, my time,

right now. you know, what we're seeing is a lot more women are on apty depressants than ever before. and i think this is part of it. they have not had their space. they're not claiming it. women tend to have silence for their needs to go, okay, let me take care of your needs, not mine. this is a place to take care of their needs. i say one thing, better to renovate than to medicate. >> and that is a perfect place for us to end. i like it. the new saying. always good to have you here, heidi. thanks. chris? >> exactly why i'm redoing my apartment right now. thank you very much, erica. they say the whole world is irish on st. patrick's day. "early" show contributor katie lee is here with some great pub -- irish pub favorites that are going to make your friends green with envy tomorrow when you prepare this stuff for them. good to see you. >> good to see you, too. >> a little early, chris. >> making fish and chips here? >> we are. most people think when they're celebrating st. patrick's day they're going to drink their

favorite irish beer or irish spirit. i'm going to cook with it. we're bringing the luck of the irish and some fish and crips this morning which just about any irish pub you go to you're going to find this on the menu. >> classic. >> so we just have some all-purpose flour here. i'm going to ask you to mix while i add things in. so just use this. i'm going to season it with some salt. and i'm going to add in some pepper. and then some garlic powder. and that's just going to get some flavor to our batter. a little paprika. which will give some nice color to it. because you don't want it to just be like this white-looking batter. you want it to get nice and golden brown. now the best part we're going to add some lager. we think about stout, a guinness, but lager is popular, too. it also is a lot lighter. so that's good for the fish and chips. you can stir. i'm going to put the whole bottle in. so you put this in. you want like a nice, thin batter. it might look a little thin but keep going. really stir that because we've got to add in our egg whites. so the lager is not going to

overpower the fish. and then we have some egg whites. now this is going to make that nice, puffy batter. if you like your batter more crisp, just leave this stuff out. but i like it -- >> okay. >> it looks good. okay so we're going to take this and fold it in. >> how many? >> two. >> do you know how to fold? you just take it and go like that. this looks like it needs some more beer. add some more in there. and you're going to fold those egg whites until they get nice and blended in. you don't want to beat all the air out of it by stirring it too hard. you can add a little bit more. this looks good. now we're going to add our fish. so i'm using some cod here, which is a nice, firm, white fish. you could also use haddock, and just take that and dip it right in. do you want to try? >> sure. >> dip it in our batter. get it nice and coated. don't be afraid to get your hands dirty. >> i've got an apron on. >> so i don't put too much

batter on mine because i don't like it overly battered. then i have some hot oil here. this is peanut oil which gets nice and hot at about 375. put that in. >> how long? >> about four minutes. you're going to want to turn it once. >> can i put it in? >> yeah, but i'm afraid you're going to burn yourself. so i'll do it. >> no faith in me. >> i don't want any kitchen accidents. this is live television. so you just let those cook until they're nice and golden brown. that batter gets all puffy and delicious and crunchy. and you're going to turn them after about two minutes. so let those cook and we'll work on our dessert. you've got a real mess going on. >> keep the fire away. >> oh, god. >> splashes. >> we only have so much -- >> batter all over the floor now. >> let me cook. >> burning. >> okay. >> i may need to go in there. >> he's made enough of a mess already. next up is bread pudding. i'm going to give you a job, hopefully you can handle it. just get it out of the oven. >> get the pot holders.

it's hot! >> because it's hot. >> this is a white chocolate and apple bread pudding. super delicious and super easy. and to irish it up a bit. we're going to make a whiskey sauce. an irish whiskey sauce. just set it right here. don't burn yourself. >> i'm not. >> okay. so i have jamison irish whiskey. this is a good one to use. smell it because it has like a nice, sweet aroma. really good for dessert time. we're going to whisk some cornstarch in there. give it a good whisk until it gets nice and blended. see, just like that. >> yeah. >> and over here we have some cream and sugar going so just pour that right in. add it in. and whisk it up. now, in about four minutes' time, this is going to get nice and thick and make this nice, rich sauce that's going to be so delicious. >> you said four minutes? >> about four minutes. and it comes out like this. looks so good. i've got a little bit of it right here. cut you a piece of the bread pudding.

starting to look good. >> oh, they are. >> i love fish and chips, especially with malt vinegar. i've got a ton of malt vinegar on mine. >> a little bread pudding over there? >> a little bread pudding. this looks so yummy. careful over there. i don't know that i trust you still. okay. and we're going to add our whiskey sauce. perfect breakfast, right? doesn't that look so good? i think i have to have a piece, too. we have some already over here. >> that's fantastic. >> very good? >> we're going to come right back. finish things off in just a second. the recipes are on our website, earlyshow.cbsnews.com. and we'll be right back. just enjoy the beer.,,,,,,,,,,,,

okay, the fish and chips are ready. time to reach in and grab them. kidding! >> don't do that. >> we're going to try to avoid any medical emergencies or lawsuits as we wrap up our day here on "the early show."

thanks for being with us. we will see you tomorrow on st. patri patrick's day. your local news is next. [ mom ] can a little bowl of cereal change your life? i think it can. one of the challenges for kayla being gluten-free is actually finding choices the whole family will love. then we discovered chex cereals. five flavors of chex are gluten-free, including the honey nut flavor, and that's amazing to a mom like me. as a parent you don't want to have to tell your kids "no" all the time. it's nice for me to be able to say "yes"

to something that they want to eat. [ male announcer ] chex cereal. five flavors. gluten free.

headlines... p-g and e says it will test 150-miles of p it is 8:55. good morning? >> i'm sydnie kohara with your cbs 5 news headlines. pg&e will test 150 miles of pipe because critical safety information is missing. the utility had until 5:00 yesterday to prove to state regulators that its gas pressure levels are safe but couldn't find 8% of the required documents. the senate expected to vote today on the state budget. governor jerry brown has been negotiating with republicans over putting tax extensions on the ballot. california is facing a $26 budget deficit. and tsunami damage in the bay area is worse than originally thought. port officials say damage to the santa cruz harbor could be more than $25 million. that is $8 million more than was first estimated. traffic and weather around the bay area in just a moment. stay with us. okay, there we are...

um, these days we're all trying to save money, that's why i'm shooting this commercial myself, at home. it's really easy and i can pass the savings onto you. okay, ready for the food part? check it out. my warm and flaky croissant sandwiches. supreme or sausage. both made with fresh egg and melting cheese. you get 2 for just 3 bucks okay, i'm back, whoa- oh, i am so ready for this recession to be over.

good morning. let's start off in the east bay, take a check of 880 through oakland. right now it is really slow going as you pass the coliseum especially northbound. this is typical for this time of the morning. the golden gate bridge looking great across the span. an accident was just cleared to the right shoulder.

southbound 101 to the central san rafael exit so there is still a small backup through san rafael approaching the scene. all other approaches to the bay bridge, slow traffic westbound 24 after an earlier accident in orinda, jammed from lafayette but at the bay bridge, not too bad. hasn't been bad all morning. it is kind of a sluggish ride on the upper deck but at the bay bridge toll plaza, really no big delays. that's your traffic. here's lawrence with your forecast. >> all right, elizabeth. still a lot of clouds around the bay area, not as much rain now. it was raining pretty good early on, still gray toward ocean beach. not your best beach day but we are going to see some sunshine in the afternoon around the bay area. temperatures down a bit, still a chance we could see some scattered showers. numbers in the 50s and 60s. slight chance that we may see a light shower or two tomorrow, doesn't look like a big deal but friday looks much more impressive as a storm system dives into the bay area. much colder storm bringing with it rain on friday. a chance of snow down to about 3,000 feet.

showers continuing into the weekend.